SMC Graduates Drive to the Finish Line
Illustration by Carolyn Burt | The Corsair
Soon-to-be graduate Valerie Matias is one of many students in the Santa Monica College (SMC) class of 2021, whose unusual and challenging online-learning experience will end with a unique event — SMC’s first Diploma Drive-Thru Celebration. “It’s gonna be a drive-thru, but I’m excited because even though [school] was difficult, I’m still here, and I was able to get here,” said Matias, who is graduating with an associate's degree in sociology.
The drive-thru is scheduled for June 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot of SMC’s Bundy campus, next to the Santa Monica Airport. It will be a hybrid event where graduates walk across an outdoor stage and drive around the parking lot in an atypical experience that follows Los Angeles County COVID-19 safety guidelines, and mimics the procession of a traditional ceremony.
“[We] wanted to do something different and exciting to help celebrate our students,” said Kiersten Elliot, Dean of Community and Academic Relations at SMC, and one of the lead advisors on the drive-thru planning committee. “We're doing our best to make sure they know how much we love and miss them. This was a really hard time to finish and to finish strong. And I'm just so proud of our students.”
Matias admitted that she had a hard time finishing strong at SMC and faced the challenges of remote learning. “There were times when the internet wouldn't work or there would be problems with Zoom or Canvas,” she said.
Valerie Matias stands on campus in Santa Monica, Calif. on Sunday, May 31, 2021, where she studied only one semester in person before the pandemic forced her to go online. She just graduated and was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley where she plans to study Sociology starting in the Fall 2021 semester. Jorge Devotto | The Corsair
Despite the hardships, Matias noted that she is the first in her family to earn a degree, so the drive-thru celebration will be a profound event for her. “I'm a first-generation student, so that makes it all the more special. I feel like it's not only going to be me graduating, it's going to be my entire family.” Matias continued, “They’re really excited...proud as well. In fact, they've already called like half my family, spreading the news.”
Matias also mentioned that her family will drive her on the day of the celebration, as each graduate along with their guests are allowed one vehicle through the route.
Valerie Matias with her family Ninfa Martinez Pedro Matias, and Minerva Matias at Santa Monica College main campus in Santa Monica, Calif. on Sunday, May 31, 2021 . Studying only one semester in person at SMC before classes switched to remote learning, Matias is graduating from SMC this semester before transferring to UC Berkeley to study Sociology starting this Fall. Jorge Devotto | The Corsair
“It’s going to be this parade kinda thing that will snake all around the building,” said Elliot. She mentioned that along the route, graduates will be able to exit their vehicle to walk the stage and collect their diploma cover, take pictures with their guests outside the car at a designated backdrop, socially distanced from other parties, and pick up a free commencement goodie bag equipped with a graduation cap and tassel, SMC t-shirt, and more. Masks must be worn by all individuals throughout the drive-thru, but can be removed for pictures at designated photo areas.
“We also know that some of our students maybe don't have any family that are with them so there is a walk up...or if you don't have a car...those folks can take the bus. We didn't want to exclude folks...you can come down and still be a walking participant,” said Elliot.
Graduates who want to participate must RSVP with the SMC admissions office to receive a designated time slot via email. “I'm anticipating that we will communicate to students their time slots, probably the week of June 7,” said Dr. Esau Tovar, Dean of Enrollment Services, and Elliot’s associate on the planning committee. Of the 5,135 students graduating, according to the SMC website, the planning committee is expecting 1,200 students to participate. “We'll probably end up having something like 100 to 130 students per hour, going through [the drive-thru],” said Tovar.
This year’s graduation festivities also include a virtual ceremony on June 25, in addition to the drive-thru. In June 2020, COVID-19 safety guidelines issued by L.A. County prohibited in-person gatherings because of the Coronavirus, making the virtual ceremony SMC’s only graduation event. “I'm one of the people that had this wild, crazy idea [to do the drive-thru] last year, and we were not able to pull it off,” said Elliot.
The rollout of the vaccine and COVID-19 guidelines slowly relaxing in L.A. County allowed SMC to begin making arrangements for their 2021 graduation. “We usually start planning graduation about six to eight months in advance,” said Elliot. “We thought this new kind of experience would be something we could put our efforts towards that would be safe from the very beginning.”
These efforts also include a COVID-19 safety plan. “We've been working hand in hand with our risk management team, our police, and our emergency operations team. They have guided us to help us stay safe, but still create [an event] that will be important for our students to have,” said Elliot.
With the help of SMC faculty and staff, Valerie Matias and the class of 2021 will have a chance to enjoy an in-person graduation event with their family and friends. For those unable to attend the Diploma Drive-Thru Celebration, a short video of the event will be recorded and streamed during the virtual ceremony on June 25.
